Rio: A New Bird
by Abramus5250
Summary: The end result of a choice will be the same, but what if the beginning was entirely different?  Forces outside Blu's control cause things to drastically change early on for our favorite cerulean macaw.  The history that would be is no more: nay, it has been rewritten. Beta'd by the great holospartoi258 - Alpha 01.
1. Pixelated Fantasies

RIO (A New Bird)

More often than not, many people often make mistakes. Mistakes are unforgivable, irredeemable, nightmares that haunt you forever. Mistakes always lead to bad endings, horrible circumstances, which is why nobody wants them to happen, which is why everybody tries to avoid them one way or another. But once they happen, it's too late. You can't rewind the last hour of your life to fix it. It's already occurred, and you can't stop them from happening. You can pretend that they didn't happen, but you're only lying to yourself.

Of course, if you could restart everything from the beginning, you would know what to do. You would do whatever it takes to make sure that these mistakes never happen again.

That is why if you're the sandman, you are always justified to do everything again, and make sure these mistakes don't happen again.

If you can control time, you could always make things new.

Chapter One (Pixelated Fantasies)

They say that in a case of kidnapping, one should remain calm and collected. Blu, however, was neither of those things.

He had just woken up and found himself strapped to a small, stainless-steel table. The cold metal surface was like ice, and the leather restraints were immovable, no matter how hard he strained. Becoming increasingly flustered, Blu could only look around at his surroundings. He seemed to be in a poorly lit warehouse, surrounded by large crates, tables and boxes.

"Where am I?" was his first coherent thought."What is happening? Why am I here?"

All he could remember was falling asleep in his nice cage. He and Linda had left the window open to let in a cool summer night's breeze, a mosquito net covering it to prevent the pesky bugs from entering. But now... he was here.

Just where the heck was he?

"He's awake", said a voice in the surrounding darkness. Blu strained his eyes in the voice's direction: all he could see were shadows.

"Excellent", replied another voice. This one seemed to be lower in pitch than the first.

Blu couldn't see this voice either, though it appeared to be in close proximity to the first voice. With a shock, he realized that neither of the voices was human: they were the voices of birds. They seemed to be big ones too, judging from their slow, deep breaths.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" His questions received no reply. However, there seemed to be hushed whispers between the two voices. Finally, a third voice, louder and deeper than the other two, responded. "We might as well; it couldn't hurt."

The other low voice responded, "Terra, could you please hit the lights?

"Sure thing, Kel", replied the voice belonging to the one called Terra. There was a series of shuffling footsteps, punctuated by loud clattering against the concrete, and then a bright light flashed over Blu. He closed his eyes, temporarily blinded by the sudden illumination.

After a few seconds of eye adjustment and the sounds of more shuffling, Blu opened his eyes. Blinking in the bright light, he turned his head towards the place where the voices originated. He gasped.

Blu couldn't believe it: standing before him, next to a steel table were the largest birds he had ever seen. They stood at least seven feet tall, and each had to weigh about 400 pounds. Their large, hooked beaks marked them as predators, but they had short, stubby wings that ended with a hooked point, like a claw. Each foot had three wicked-looking talons attached to enormous feet. The legs were surprisingly slender, but were extremely muscular at the same time. Powerful, slender necks connected the massive heads to their large bodies; S-curved in nature, they seemed to somehow bulge with muscles.

Each bird seemed very tense. The middle one, who Blu assumed was the leader, had a scar running across its left eye and cheek. The eye itself was an opaque gray, while the other eye was a clear and golden colour. Interestingly, the good eye was covered by a monocle. Odd choice for a bird, Blu thought. The birds' feathers were mostly silver with patches of gold, and they seemed to be ruffled. Its crest feathers, about five in all, were sagging against the back of his head.

The one on the left, although approximately the same size as the middle one, seemed to be somewhat younger. This one's feathers were golden in colour, with small patches of red sparsely patterned throughout. Its eyes were pitch-black, like a doll's eyes. This one's unique feature was the watch it had on one of its stubby wings. This one also seemed to be the tensest; it kept scanning the warehouse, pixel by pixel, turning this way and that. The bird never seemed to blink, and its crest feathers were standing on end.

The last one was perhaps the most different of them all. About six inches shorter than the other two, it somehow gave the appearance of being larger. The crest feathers were absent, and the plumage was a mottled mixture of gold, deep earth tones and black, with some red showing on the throat. The eyes were what held Blu's attention: they were red, a red deeper than the purest ruby, with a gleam in them he had never seen before. Looking away, he noticed the legs: they were covered in bandages, as if this one had been injured. "Odd," he thought. How could that have happened?

"Who, or exactly what, are you?" he asked, trying not to let the fear he was feeling creep into his voice.

"Do not be afraid," said the smaller one. Her voice rang out clear, and was surprisingly gentle in nature. "We mean you no harm."

"Then why am I here?" enquired Blu.

Her reply shocked and puzzled him: "You are here so that your species does not die out."

"What do you mean my species will die out? How do you know of this?" Blu asked, perplexed and more than a little afraid.

"We might as well tell him: he may not remember any this anyway." This came from the middle one, the apparent leader of the group. His deep voice had both a pleasing clarity and resonated throughout the warehouse.

"This is a long story, so you may want to stay silent until I am finished." He cleared his throat.

My name is Dr. Gastorn, and what I am about to tell you is all true."

"We are an evolved race on birds almost all of mankind believes to be extinct. Only a select few know of our existence. Throughout the ages, we have helped mankind through its many periods of growth and decay. Within the last 200 years, their rapid advancement in science finally brought them to a point we were at hundreds of years before. Luckily, many of our kind viewed our position as one of guidance for the humans, so that they would not make the same mistakes we had in the past.

"In order to do this, we needed to build a machine: a machine that could see into the future itself. Through many trials and errors, we were finally able to build it. We have kept it secret from the majority of our human associates, because some would try to use it for their own gain.

"However, as we would later come to realize, the future is never static: it is always in motion, changing sometimes for better, and for worse. Several key events came to our attention: the rise of the smuggling market and the consequences that landed you here in Minnesota. Both of these are connected, and they must be rectified.

"Since the smuggling industry became huge, we have noticed many once-common birds are becoming dangerously close to extinction. Your species, for example: there are very few left of you in the wild and almost your entire species is living in zoos and similar places. The biggest problem, however, is the fact that the species cannot be saved without your unique genetic material. Without it, your species will become doomed to increasingly destructive inbreeding. We must not let this happen.

"However, we seemed to have reached an "impasse" of sorts."

"What do you mean?" asked Blu, unthinkingly.

"In one of two possible futures, you are killed by an unknown, alabaster entity. In the other, your species survives due to your unique genetic material. This is the future in which we help you."

"Can we get this over with? I'm getting antsy about this warehouse: it's too open." This came from the one that must be called Kel. "Also, I'm hungry."

"Fine Kel." This came from the smaller one, the one called Terra. "As soon as we're done here, we'll stop by the meat market and pick up some groceries through some of our contacts. Sheesh, all you want to do is eat." She rolled her eyes.

"What can I say? An operation like this burns a lot of calories," replied Kel.

Dr. Gastorn sighed: "Will you two stop bickering? This requires a lot of concentration, you know." With that, the two were silenced.

"Okay, so here we go." Gastorn picks up the liquid-filled syringes with one of his wings and hobbles over to Blu.

Blu's eyes widen in realization. "What are you going to do?" he yelps.

"We're going to help you, Blu. Now, please hold still: this may sting," replied Gastorn with a look of concentration.

Blu felt the cold needle enter his neck. As he felt the liquid inject into his bloodstream, he could only look on as Dr. Gastorn backed away from him with the empty syringe. Then, he felt his body start to go numb, and then, blackness started to engulf him, pixel by pixel.

The last thing he heard before darkness silenced everything were two sentences between Terra and Dr. Gastorn.

"Will he be alright, Gastorn?" Terra asked.

"Yes, I am sure of it. After all, I am a doctor," Gastorn replied.

"Blu, wake up: it's such a beautiful morning," Linda said as she opened the curtains.

A shaft of light appeared through the window, shining through Blu's eyelids.

"Was it morning already?" thought Blu as he tried to open his eyes. Slowly he opened them, but they kept closing on him. "Man, am I groggy: should've gone to bed earlier."

As he stretched in his cage, Blu thought about last night, or at least what he could remember. It seemed queer that he was experiencing such a migraine… as he scanned through possibilities pixel by pixel, the vivid and permanently etched memories of the mind, slithered into his thoughts. Blu then recalled the humongous, super-intelligent birds that allied with humans… building a time machine… saving his species… and that dreaded needle! Blu shuddered and he immediately dismissed them as mere dreams, illusions that his mind toyed with in his state of slumber, pixelated fantasies.

"Impossible," Blu shook off. "Those dreams aren't real. They CAN'T be… they're only dreams…"He thought over what he had done before he went to sleep. "That's it: no more s'mores before bed. Last time I dreamt I was yellow," thought Blu with a smile.

Then why did his neck itch?

"Probably a mosquito bite" Blu thought. "They are out in force this year."

As the sun slowly rose higher above the hills in the distance, Blu had only one thought on his mind: "What am I going to read today? Some Shakespeare, James Patterson, or perhaps some more history? I believe I was on the Mongol Conquests."

He jumped down, opened his cage and set off to help Linda make some breakfast. "I hope it's pancakes" he thought.

Unbeknownst to him and Linda, the grass outside their window was slightly compressed, as if some large weight had stood upon it. From this flat spot, a pair of large, three-toed tracks led away into the woods, past a nearby farm. As the grass settled and the initial pressure dissipated into the atmosphere, these dew-laden tracks vanished without a trace, remembered by nobody save the beholders and the owner of heaven, deleted fantasies pixel by pixel.


	2. No Matter Where it Took Them

Chapter Two (No matter where it took them)

**A/N: I don't own Rio.**

Due to some extraordinary circumstances, an ornithologist named Dr. Tulio convinced Linda to bring Blu to Rio de Janeiro in order to mate with one of the last known of his kind from the wild. It didn't seem very appealing, but it was to 'save the species' after all... and thus, here they were, in a jeep on the crowded roads of Rio.

"So this is Rio," thought Blu from his cage in the back of Dr. Tulio's jeep. The jeep's constant sputtering was making his cage rattle unceasingly. "Quite the colorful place."

Stifling a yawn, he continued to look around. But it seemed that everywhere images of the genetically altered birds began to pop up in his mentality. "I wish these nightmares would stop," he muttered, frustrated. "They are ruining my sleep. There are no such things as scientist birds!"

The jeep rumbles to a stop as a large crowd of people move across the road. At this point a canary, with a bottle cap resting on his head, and a red-crested cardinal perched themselves on Blu's cage.

"Yo yo yo, what up caged bird?" The canary enquires.

"Hey Nico, you gonna introduce us?" The cardinal interrupted, before Blu could say anything.

The one named Nico sighed. "I'm Nico, and this is my good buddy Pedro," the one named gestured to the cardinal named Pedro. The former starts tapping his hat like a tambourine. "Why are you in that cage, anyway?"

"I'm safe in here," Blu replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Time for a jailbreak!" crows Pedro, again before Blu can interject. He proceeds to bash against the cage with to no effect. "Man, that thing is robust!"

"Fellas, it's OK! I like the cage," Blu responds hurriedly, hoping that the cardinal doesn't try to attack the cage again. "I'm safe inside."

"Whatever bird, it's your call. It's been nice talkin' to you. What's your name, anyway?" asks Pedro.

"Oh, uh... Blu. Tyler Blu Gunderson," Blu says.

"Well, see ya around, Blu!" calls out Nico as he flies away, spinning through the air and singing a catchy tune.

"Yeah, see you too!" Blu calls out, and he turns around just as the jeep starts to move again. A few minutes later, they arrive at the bird sanctuary.

As Linda picks up Blu and carries him into the sanctuary, Blu caught some of what Dr. Tulio is saying.

"You see," Tulio explained gravely. "We need your bird's unique genetic material to help keep the species' genetic structure intact. Inbreeding could occur if we're not careful."

"What happens with that?" Linda asked, curious.

"With so few birds left, inbreeding could be a huge problem. It could potentially cause mutations, like poor musculature or deformed feet." Tulio shook his head melancholically. "We must not allow this to happen."

"Strange," thought Blu. "Where have I heard that before?"

As they walked past a helper, Blu noticed he was covered in scratches. Linda also noticed this.

"Where'd he get those?" she queried.

"From the new arrival. She's... quite the feisty one," Tulio said, trying to undertone reality.

Blu's jaw became slack, dumbfounded. "So, let me get this straight: I have to hook up with a possibly psycho girl, while neither of us knows each other, and all this to save the species? Yeah, no pressure there," he said with a touch of sarcasm.

As they neared the cage, Tulio whispered something to Linda. All Blu could pick out was "irresistible".

Blu was quickly shoved into the cage and the latch was shut behind him. Turning around, he saw that the walls were steel, as was the door he just came through. Looking closer at the door, he realized that goofy Tulio had fluffed up his feathers. He looked downright ridiculous!

"Moron," Blu muttered as he groomed them back down.

After making himself look presentable, he looked around. "I can't afford to make a wrong impression," he thought. "With the whole, 'end of the species' spell Tulio gave out, I'm surprised I'm not more nervous. Then again, she might attack me on sight. Oh, woe is me," he muttered to himself. "Well, might as well get it over with."

Walking deeper into the enclosure, Blu was starting to get slightly frightened. It was quite dark, and there was a constant rustling noise in the leaves.

"Hello?" he calls out, false bravery marking his tone. And before he could react, a sudden flutter of wing beats causes him to look up, as another Blue Macaw ploughs into him.

With its claws around his neck, it speaks. "Who are you?" a female, divine voice asked.

"A bird... just like you... I...come in... peace..." Blu choked out.

"Sorry," she said, releasing her grip, leaving her male counterpart to gasp for dear air.

"What... What's your name?" he asks after recovering.

"My name's Jewel," she replies. "You?"

"The name's Blu. I'm from America- Minnesota, to be precise."

Her eyes narrowed. "A pet?" she asked.

"I would consider myself more of a companion," replied Blu, with a shred of dignity left in his voice.

"Great. Just great. How am I going to get out of here with a useless pet? ...no offense," she groaned, adding the last bit quickly.

"Not that I really should question your actions, but why do you want to get out of this cage? It's rather nice in here," said Blu, matter-of-fact.

"Because, unlike you, pet," –she spoke the word as if it were the most contemptible word in the dictionary- "I prefer my own freedom... I don't wish to be dragged down by anyone. I want to live like I should: outside." Determination glinted in her expression.

Blu yawned. "Well, whatever floats your boat, then. If you need me, I'll be trying to sleep over there; it's been a rough week." He walked over and lay down near a fern.

Jewel scoffed. "Like you could help me escape from here, anyway. I'll be out of here in no time."

She grabs a small stone and flies up to the metal ventilation grate and starts tapping away.

And as all priority of 'saving the species' completely dissipated into the air, Blu started to close his eyes, and he drifted off to sleep. However, like previous nights, these dreams will not bring peace of mind.

Jewel was tired. Her beak ached, her head throbbed, her wings were sore and she was sure she had pulled something in her left foot.

That stupid grate still hadn't budged. She had barely even put a dent in it.

Was she ever going to get out of here?

"Might as well rest," she relented. Fluttering over to a branch, she started to close her eyes.

But before she could drift off to sleep, a loud cry startled her: "No, stop it. Get that away from me!"

"What was that?" she thought. Looking around, she saw the one named Blu lying on the floor. He was tossing and turning in his sleep, groaning.

Flying down to him, she noticed something odd. He was completely asleep, but he was having a nightmare. An extraordinarily bad one too, from the looks of things.

"W-w-where am I? W-w-who are you?" he fearfully stuttered. He violently jerked his body, almost swatting Jewel in the face.

His voice suddenly changed; it became deeper and clearer. "We are here because we must be."

His voice, just as quickly, reverted back to his panicky cries. "I ... I don't know what any of this means."

Jewel decided she had had enough... frankly it was beginning to scare her. Walking closer to Blu, she gently prodded him with her foot. "Blu, wake up."

Blu awoke with a start. "Huh? What's going on? Where am I?"

Jewel sighed. "Don't worry Blu, you're still here in the cage in Rio. Are you all right?"

Blu nodded. "Sure, I'm OK. Just a bad dream. Was I talking?"

Jewel shrugged her shoulders. "More or less."

Suddenly, the power cut out, plunging the whole cage into darkness. The two birds yelped frightfully in unison. The only light was the light from the moon coming in through the ventilation shaft.

A light suddenly flickered near the door Blu was brought through. However, it wasn't the glowing warm light a light bulb gave... they were a more violent orange that threatened to consume everything in its path.

The room began to grow uncomfortably hot.

Jewel was the first to respond. "We need to get out of here!" She flew up to the grate, attempting with a more fierce passion to dent a hole. Again, it simply wouldn't budge.

Blu looked around the enclosure: the only other way out was the door, and that wasn't a viable option. There was no escape.

Jewel flew back down, her head drooping. "It's hopeless," she wailed.

Blu looked up at the grate, and unbeknownst to Jewel, his eyes changed to a golden color. Adrenaline pumping, he worked his way up to the ventilation shaft while Jewel lamented below.

A great noise startled Jewel. Looking up, she caught a glimpse of what appeared to be the ventilation grate flying overhead, right before it landed in the bushes. She looked up at Blu: the way was clear.

"How on Earth did you do that?" she asked, completely bewildered.

Blu looked down at her. "I honestly have no idea," he said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Now do you want to get out of here or not?

Jewel decided to ask any further questions, flying up beside him and they made their way through the rather cramped vent. They could hear the flames enter the cage behind them and incinerate the foliage.

Jewel looked up ahead. They were almost free. "Come on, Blu; we're almost there!" she called euphorically.

As they exited the shaft, they failed to notice the net lying in wait, descending and trapping them before they could take the first taste of freedom. A young boy looked at them through the net. His voice was like a sad song: "I'm sorry guys, but I need to do this."

As he carried them away and Jewel swore under her breath, Blu could only think to himself: "Great. Out of the frying pan... and into the fire."

But, of course, they had no choice but to accept their fate... no matter where it took them.


	3. Dead Weight

Chapter Three (Dead weight)

They soon arrived at an old building up in the slums.

Before they could think of what to do, the door opened and a man with dreadlocks took Blu and Jewel from the boy. In a brief exchange, he paid him and then shut the door, locking it.

He quickly binds Jewel and Blu with a chain to their feet and throws them in a cage in the back of the building. Many other colorful birds are caged there as well.

"Now what do we do?" asked Jewel as they surveyed their surroundings.

"How should I know?" Blu replied. "We're going to get shipped to another place by force; what do you think we can do?"

Frustrated, Jewel started thrashing around in the cage, banging the cage violently from one end of the cage to another.

"Whoa!" called out Blu as one of her wings nearly smacks him in the face. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to escape, what does it look like I'm doing?" Jewel exclaimed in a particularly angry tone. "I don't want to be sold to some rich moron who will keep me caged forever! I want to be free!"

"Why don't you just open the door?" Blu asked, as he lifts and slides the latch that kept them prisoner.

Jewel looks at him with wide eyes and a slightly open beak, amazement written all over her. "How in the world did you do that?" she asks, still not sure she is seeing what she is.

Blu looks at her with a confused expression as well. "It's a simple slide-latch; nothing too complicated."

Jewel springs out. "Then let's go!"

"But..." Blu cried out, shame searing through his veins. "But... I can't... fly!"

Jewel does a complete 180 and looks at him, shock marking her expression. "What do you mean you can't fly?"

Blu looks sheepishly at his talons. "I never learned how."

Jewel shook her head, sighing in exasperation. The priority to escape was just too overwhelming. "Never mind; let's just get out of here before we're shoved back in that cramped cage."

They make their way up some boxes to the window. After they open it, they hear a sound behind them; one of the humans is screaming for them to stop.

"Jump!" cried Blu, and they leap out the window onto some empty cardboard boxes that break their fall.

As they ran away, Jewel blurted in a whine: "How is it that I'm stuck with you, a flightless bird?"

Blu looked somewhat affronted. It seemed that Jewel treated him as mere dead weight, a burden one was forced to carry. "There are other flightless birds you know, like penguins and emus and-

Jewel's eyes darted upwards. "DUCK!" she cried.

Blu shot a befuddled expression. "No, ducks can fly..."

"No, I mean, duck down!" she shrieked

Blu ducks just in time, as a large sulphur-crested cockatoo flies by where his head had been seconds before. The waiting talons swipe only air.

The bird screeches in frustration. "Get back here!"

As it turns back around, Blu notices something strange about the bird. Its path reeks of smoke and its feathers seem to be smudged with ash.

Jewel looked back as well. "Who is this guy?"

Blu shot her an if-you-don't-how-should-I look. "I don't know, but I don't think he's friendly."

Jewel screeched: "Well, he's coming back around!"

Indeed he was, with a look of pure malice upon his face. With his talons were extended, he dodged various obstacles, poised to grab Blu and Jewel and carry them off to who-knows-where.

He called out in an incredibly sinister voice. "Come back pretty birds! I've got a nice cage waiting for you back in the house!"

Jewel looked at Blu, huffing and puffing from their sprinting. "What's he talking about now?"

Blu looked back at her, wheezing. "I don't know, but I think he's in cahoots with those guys who kidnapped us. Why else would a bird want to put another bird in a cage?"

"You mean the smugglers?"

"Yeah; I also think he cut the power back at the sanctuary and started the fire. Why else would he have ashes all over him?"

Jewel looked confused. "Why would he do that?"

Blu looked at her as they ducked under a crate of bananas. "Isn't it obvious? We're an incredibly rare, endangered species of exotic birds. We could fetch a fortune on the black market."

Jewel looked at him. "How would you know?"

Blu shrugged nonchalantly. "I read all the time: I learn things like this."

It was amazing, Jewel thought, that he could be so indifferent in such a dire situation like this. It helped, though, that he could decipher what was going on while running for his dear life...

Blu looked back. "On the count of three, drop to the ground."

Jewel peered behind him. "Okay."

"One...Two...THREE!"

They duck just as the bird passes over them, inches from their exposed necks. It looks up just in time to see a power transformer directly ahead of it.

It screeches, but it's too late. It slams into the poles below the transformer, damaging the termite-infested wood. The pole breaks, falling over and causing a city-wide blackout. The bird, slightly concussed, lays there dazed and confused.

Blu looks at Jewel, a victorious smile plastered on his face. "Let's get out of here."

Jewel looks towards the jungle. "I know a place."

As they trot away, the last thing they hear the white bird say is: "Mommy, where's my cookie?"

After an exhausting trek, they find themselves in the jungle. Blu looks at Jewel, who can barely keep her eyes open.

"I would prefer to sleep in something off the ground." Blu speaks, snapping the thread of silence lingering between them.

"Same here," replies Jewel drowsily.

"What about that watch-tower?" Blu points up. It was quite a way up, with plenty of trees nearby to provide cover from the elements.

Jewel eyed it wearily. "I can't fly so high up... and even if I could I wouldn't be able to pull you up there... you're just too big and besides... I'm tired..." It seemed astounding to the azure Macaw that her male counterpart was so unaffected by their long trek in the jungle

It was Blu's turn to smile. "Who said anything about flying?"

Walking over to the posts on which the tower was positioned, Blu scratched one with his feet.

"Sturdy," he muttered. "Excellent."

Jewel looked at him strangely. "What are you talking about now?"

"Just watch, and hold on tight."

Jewel looked bemused, as well as simultaneously confused. "What are you doooooo-!"

She was interrupted as Blu proceeded to free-run up the log in a way that would make Altair proud. Jewel was dragged along, and she could only look on as they rose higher and higher into the canopy of the jungle.

"Well," she thought. "I guess I'm the dead weight over here."

When they reached the top, Blu pulled up Jewel so that they were on a ledge facing Rio. The city was down below, among the foothills of the mountains and was sparkling like the stars overhead. Someone obviously had restored power to the city.

Jewel yawned and lay down, pulling her exhausted wings and feet towards her body.

"Well, good night Blu," she said, and before Blu could reply, she promptly fell asleep.

"Good night Jewel," replied Blu.

As Blu looked out over Rio, he could only think of what had happened to him. What was he going to do now? He was haunted by nightmares, chased by smugglers and a mentally unstable bird... he was far away from home, too, and Linda as well.

As he laid his aching muscles down, he felt as though this was just the start of something bigger. But, he was too tired to think anymore. Then, with a close of his eyes, he let the sandman carry him off into dreamland; a land of peace and serenity.

The sandman, of course, had a different idea.


	4. Find Peace

Chapter Four (Find Peace)

Flashback:

"Will he be alright, Gastorn?" Terra asked.

"Yes, I am sure of it. After all, I am a doctor," Gastorn replied, as Blu passed out.

"It had better work," replied Kel. "Too much is at stake for this to go wrong. Ten years: ten long years of planning and preparation."

Gastorn looked at Kel. "I know. Remember the whooping crane?"

Kel smirked. "How could I? If it hadn't been for our human contacts pushing for its safety, it would be gone from this world."

Terra looked at them with a small, sad smile. "Too bad our predecessors didn't try as hard with the passenger pigeon."

Gastorn looked at her gloomily. "I know all too well. My great-grandfather told my grandfather on his deathbed that it was one of his greatest regrets."

Kel looked surprised. "So your great-grandfather was a scientist as well?"

Gastorn nodded. "Yes; I come from a long line of scientists. One ancestor was friends with Sir Isaac Newton."

Terra looked sheepishly at Dr. Gastorn. "I've been meaning to ask; just how old are you?"

Gastorn cleared his throat. "I will be turning 43 this November."

Terra spoke again. "How long have you been a scientist?"

Gastorn looked down at Blu. "All my life. This project has been, so far, my greatest and most controversial yet."

Kel spoke softly. "Do you still think about the accident with the machine?"

Gastorn looked at him. "Of course: it's what cost me my eye."

Kel turned to Terra. "Are you still alright? Would you like some fresh bandages?"

Terra looked at Kel. "I'll be fine. I just wish we had scouted for those new barberries Linda had planted earlier in spring. The thorn apples on the way here didn't help either."

Gastorn looked at both of them. "I wish I could have been there to help you both."

Kel looked admonished. "Don't worry about it. You've already done more than your fair share in this operation."

Terra spoke up as well. "After all, it was you who created the Titan formula. All of this would have been useless without you."

Gastorn strode to the other side of the table, where Blu was laying. "Thank you for your kind words. I still feel that the Council of Seven wasn't entirely sure about this plan. After all, changing another being, just because it would help the future? Isn't it all a little, well, speculative at best?"

Terra straightened up. "The machine has never been wrong before, and we are saving the species by doing this. If we don't save them, who will?"

Gastorn sighed. "I know, I just wanted to let it out, to feel better, you know?"

Kel looked at his watch. "It's getting late. We still have to get him back in his cage and leave no evidence we were ever there."

Terra nodded. "Fine, Kel. You get the restraints off, and I'll get the holding bag."

Gastorn looked at them and said. "While you do that, I'll clean up our things and call our contact. Suddenly, I'm feeling hungry as well."

As they all went about their duties, Blu remained completely asleep: unbeknownst to the super-birds, he had been eavesdropping. As Gastorn finished packing up and left to get the phone, he turned one last time to where Blu was laying, unrestrained and about to be returned home.

"Goodbye, Blu." Gastorn nodded in his direction. "Find the peace that few ever truly do."

And with that, he turned and never looked back.

And when Blu would wake up, he would regard everything as pixelated fantasies, in the hope of finding peace from these nightmares that he didn't know would come back to haunt him.

**A/N: Sorry for the shorter chapter, but this was difficult to write in a way that wouldn't stretch on forever. I promise the upcoming chapters will be longer.**


	5. In a Pained Frenzy

Chapter Five (In a Pained Frenzy)

Blu awoke with a start. Shaking his head, he realized it was morning; the sun was just emerging from the sea.

"Now what was that dream all about?" Blu muttered to himself.

He looked over at Jewel, who was still asleep. "She looks so peaceful," he thought to himself, a grin spreading across his face.

He started stretching. As he did, he thought back to the previous night and his subsequent dream.

"Why would a bird, any bird, ally itself with such a group of humans? Has he no sense of honour?" Blu wondered. "And where did that dream come from? Formulas and scientists, birds and history; it doesn't make any sense."

"This is all so confusing," he muttered, shaking his head like memories were merely physical objects that could be shook out.

"What? Did you say something?" This came from Jewel, just starting to wake up. Her groggy, unfocused eyes looked at Blu.

"Uh...I was wondering what we were going to eat," Blu lied. He couldn't let a bird like Jewel know that such memories had been

"Give me a minute to wake up and stretch; then we'll find some food," Jewel muttered, dazed. A yawn emitted from her beak.

A few minutes later, Blu and Jewel were walking around the tower, looking at the trees.

"I see some mangos in that tree; let's have some," said Jewel. They walked over and Jewel started eating a mango.

Luckily for Blu, he actually had a taste for them. Linda had previously bought the same kind of mangos back in Minnesota for a recipe. When she had some extras, she gave them to Blu; he found them to be tasty.

Blu dug in. He looked over at a vine.

"Jewel, what about those berries?" he asked.

"Those aren't ripe enough," Jewel replied, a knee-jerk reaction.

After breakfast, they thought about what to do next.

"We need to get this chain off our feet," said Jewel, the metal clink resounding in her answer.

"I know; let me think," replied Blu. "I've got a brilliant idea!"

And so, many, many broken vines, cracked rocks, shattered sticks, muddied feathers and brilliant ideas later...

Jewel smirked at Blu. "Yeah, real brilliant, Blu."

Blu looked at Jewel, clearly not amused. "I take it back; those were terrible ideas."

"Now what do we do?" Jewel asked, the hopelessness beginning to sink in again. But before Blu could reply, a sudden rustling in the tree above made him spin around.

There was eerie silence. Panicking, Blu jumped behind Jewel "C-c-c-could it be a... p-p-p-predator?" Blu stuttered softly, fear leaking into his voice.

At this point the unseen creature poked its head out. It was a toucan; a baby toucan, to be precise. It stared at the two Macaws with its large, innocent baby eyes.

Jewel smirked at Blu condescendingly. "Be careful about that vicious-looking bird Blu, it might snuggle you to death."

Blu squinted at the hatchling. "Then why is it staring at us like that?"

More and more baby toucans appeared all around them- an ominous ring filled the atmosphere, a sense of fear, and Blu shuddered.

"Uh..." Blu muttered, unsure. "Jewel?"

"Attack!" The first Toucan suddenly shrieked, and soon the two Macaws were swarmed by the baby toucans, attacking them from every direction.

"Ow, OUCH! My head is not a trampoline!" Blu screamed as one toucan started bouncing on him.

At this point of time another Toucan, an adult one thank the stars, appeared, and he caught sight of the two Macaws in a pained frenzy, being assailed by his unruly children. Clearly he was not amused.

"What's going on here?" he asked, attempting to pry the birds apart.

"Daddy!" the children squealed, leaping onto their father-cum-new-target like a school of piranhas, giving him the same treatment as they did to Blu and Jewel.

"Hey, OUCH! That hurt! Don't make me call your mother!" he shouted threateningly.

"NO!" the baby birds shrieked in unison, deserting the scene and flying up into the roost.

"What was that all about?" asked Blu as he straightened his feathers and pinched his beak. "Ouch, that stings a little."

"That's the only thing that works. They're terrified of her, as with I," the toucan replied, triumphant at first but later shivering with fear. "By the way, my name's Rafael; what's yours?"

Blu blinked. He answered hesitantly, for he did not know this bird, and his children could well have inherited their mischievousness from him. "Uh... I'm Blu... and this bird I'm chained to is Jewel."

Rafael smiled understandingly. "Oh, so you're together?"

Jewel and Blu looked at each other, nonplussed. "No..." Jewel said, turning back to Rafael. "We're actually chained together. Literally." She showed him the chain in question, the metal jingle resounding her point. "We're just trying to get it removed. Think you can help us?"

Rafael's smile grew even bigger. "Ah, you two are very lucky! You now know Rafael, and Rafael knows everybody!" he exclaimed, sweeping his wings. "I'll take you to my buddy Luiz, he'll be able to help you out." Oddly, he spoke in a whisper, as if he didn't want to be heard.

Blu leaned closer. "Uh, why are you whispering?"

"Because I don't want my wife to find out." he said, his whisper becoming more hushed.

"Don't want me to find out what, exactly?" a voice rang out, the owner being a lady toucan. She walked over to a rather panicked Rafael- her face was stern.

"Ah, Eva, my love! I was just talking about you!" Rafael exclaimed, trying to keep the floodgates to his inner fear shut. "Meet my new friends, Blu and Jewel. They've run into a problem, and I must take them to Luiz to fix it."

Eva's face said it all- she didn't buy it. "Oh no, don't you try that with me again. You just want to sneak off to Carnival to party with your friends and leave me alone with our seventeen-soon-to-be-eighteen kids!" Eva ranted, narrowing her eyes in a somewhat threatening manner. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to control them without you around? I have a better chance of eating a tree than I do of settling them down!"

In response to this, Rafael started to rapidly blink, as if his mind was in overdrive and trying to come up with an answer. At this point Blu's sympathies went out to Rafael- after all, eighteen was a humongous number! "I could never do that," thought Blu. "It would be too scary to be a parent. Still, being one of the last of my species means I've got a responsibility... to be just that..." Blu sighed. The fact was, though, deep down he knew Jewel wouldn't want to end up with him, the dead weight of the two. There was no way he would be able to start a family with her...

With a sparkle in his eyes, Rafael looked at his mate; an invisible light bulb appeared over his head. "Ah, there's nothing to be against Carnival, my dear! After all, it's where I met the most beautiful bird in the world," he cooed, stroking her feathers. Eva pulled her wing out of his grasp, slightly blushing.

Blu, having absolutely no idea what was going on, peered at Jewel out of the corner of his eye. He whispered, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"I haven't the faintest." Jewel replied using the same number of decibels as Blu was.

Rafael looked into Eva's eyes lovingly. "Do you remember the song that was playing when I first laid eyes on you?"

When the realisation finally hit Blu, he was simultaneously taken aback, yet intrigued. It seemed Rafael was trying to sweet-talk Eva into letting him go... and from the looks of Eva's face –the sternness melting into gentleness... it seemed to be working. This served to heighten the astonishment and interest in Blu.

"Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking..." He sang, taking Eva in his wings and twirling her around. Blu suppressed the urge to giggle.

Rafael spun her around. "Come on baby, sing it!"

Eva opened her beak, and started to sing... which was off-key."And when she passes, each one she passes goes... AHHHHHH!" She screeched while belting out the most awful rendition of any song anyone had ever heard before. Blu and Jewel covered their ears, cringing: it was the most horrible thing they had ever heard! Blu could have sworn his eyes were starting to water.

"Like a river of the sweetest honey!" smiled Rafael, holding Eva in his wings. He seemed to be completely unaffected by Eva's tone-deafness as he pulled her into a kiss, earning a cry of disgust from their children.

Blu whispered, as he tried to clear his ear with his wing. "More like the desert of agony," he muttered.

Jewel winced. "I guess love is deaf, too."

"So," Rafael said, breaking away. "May I move along, then?"

"Ok," Eva relented, sighing. "I guess you can take them to Luiz. But please hurry back!"

"You are an angel!" Rafael exclaimed, his voice full of love and happiness."I'll miss you, my juicy little mango!"

"I'll miss you, my pudgy papaya." Eva crooned, smiling. She looked back at the nest, where her smile turned into a scowl. "Hey! Marco, Carlos, put your brother down, now!"

The two toucans giggled, but set him down quickly. They soon swarmed her.

"I can't believe she actually fell for it!" Rafael whispered, leading the two away.

"So, how far is this Luiz?" Blu asked, hoping it wasn't too far away. The mere thought of this 'Luiz' being miles away... he groaned internally. The trek alone would take forever!

"Oh, it's not far," Rafael assured, shrugging nonchalantly. "Only around thirty minutes, as the crow flies!"

"And how long as the Macaw walks?" Blu asked, his fears becoming a reality.

"Bobo here can't fly." Said Jewel, narrowing her eyes and glaring at Blu.

"But, but... he's a bird!" Rafael protested, becoming all flustered again.

"I'm sorry, but living in a secure cage all my life in Minnesota kinda negated the need for me learning how to fly." Blu said, his pride somewhat hurt. "It's not like I can't learn, it's just that I don't know how."

"Wait, wait, wait." Rafael butted in. "My friends, I wanna help, but to walk the whole way? It, it, it can't be done!"

He turned back to see Eva struggling with their children. His eyes widened and he quickly turned back to Blu. His insecurities were then superseded by new ones, and he put on a grin. "But hey, we might as well give it a shot! Let's go, quickly."

He steered Blu and Jewel away, jostling them with his wings into a brisk jog. "Don't look back, they sense fear!"


	6. Skyward

Chapter Six – Skyward

A while later, Blu found himself near the edge of a cliff, high above the city of Rio. Buildings and people suddenly looked like ants from the height above.

Several hang-gliders cruised overhead, floating on the updrafts. They cried out in fear, pocket items raining onto the city below, and they wailed for their mommies.

Looking over the edge, Blu gulped nervously and looked back at the other two. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked, slowly backing away from the edge.

Rafael looked at him and smiled cheerily, as if there was no danger, or sense of fear whatsoever. "Of course! If our featherless friends can do it, why can't we?"

Another hang-glider took off, as if to resound with Rafael's point, this one's occupant screaming for their life. Blu grimaced. "That's technically not flying, you know."

Rafael shook his wing dismissively. "Technically, shmechnically... it's not about what's possible, it's all about what you feel in here." He puts his wing on Blu's chest. "It's within you Blu; you just need to let it out. Besides, it's not like Jewel is going to bite your talon off..."

Rafael backed up a couple of steps, and he shot a look at the azure Macaw. "Are you?" he placed cautiously.

She peered at Blu in a somewhat eerie manner, with a tint of suspicion. "We'll see," she said flatly, but Blu gulped anxiously, the feathers on the back of his neck standing up.

Rafael scoffe. "Come on, Blu! It's one of the most natural things we birds feel! Soaring through the skies, the beating of your wings as you zip through the air; it's what we do!"

Blu shuddered at the notion. "Doesn't seem very natural to me," he retorted, and Jewel exasperatedly rolled her eyes.

"I guess the only way to show you is through example." she said conclusively, nodding at Rafael. He smiled and dropped off the cliff, causing Blu to gasp as he peered over the edge, frantically searching for his Toucan friend. A few seconds later, he reappeared, soaring overhead with little-to-no visible effort.

"See Blu? It's easy!" he called out, spinning and flipping on the air currents as if it was as natural as breathing or talking or feeling emotions.

"Yeah, well... not over down here!" Blu called out.

Rafael landed, causing a cloud of dust to reach Blu's face. The latter sneezed and wiped his face messily. He, in no sense of the word, seemed any more convinced from before that flying was a good idea, as he narrowed his eyes at Rafael.

"I guess we'll have to be more persuasive." Jewel decided, who took hold of one of Blu's wings. Rafael nodded and proceeded to grab the other, and a panicked look streaked across the cerulean Macaw's face.

"What are you doing?" Blu exclaims, frightened.

"The only way for you is to learn by practice. Now, let's go!" called out Rafael, while Jewel rushes him towards the edge of the cliff, no turning back. Once he was off that edge, he had only one choice- and that was to fly or die. Literally.

You couldn't obviously blame Blu as the colour drained from his face.

"You can do this, Blu!" Jewel called out in encouragement. They accelerated an alarming rate, the distance from the birds to the precipice shrinking by the second.

"I can do this, I can do this, I can do this" Blu chanted to himself, mirroring Jewel, hoping that it would provide the fuel that he needed to take off. But the moment they neared the edge, his eyes turned gold.

"I CAN'T DO THIS!" he cried abruptly. Twisting in midair a full one-eighty degrees, he grabs onto a rock embedded in the cliff's ledge with his beak. The chain allowed Jewel to dangle rather unceremoniously, and she grunted irritably at Blu's cowardliness.

"What the flying fudge?" she yelled, as if she were ready to strangle Blu- but her words fell on deaf words as the cerulean Macaw eyed the rock that he held onto for dear life, as it began to become displaced from its original position, to slip off the cliff.

"Cheese and sprinkles," Blu muttered, as the rock finally gave way to Blu and Jewel's weight, sending Blu and Jewel plummeting downwards. The two Macaws shrieked in terror, the only thing between them and the hard, unforgiving floor being air- that was really only empty space with a miniscule amount of particles that could possibly cushion their fall anyway.

Suddenly, a hang-glider passing underneath stopped their fall, intercepting their vertical flight and saving their lives. As soon as their minds wrapped around the fact that they were not falling anymore, they began to cling onto the glider for dear life.

Blu opened his eyes, panting heavily. "We're...we're not dead? Jewel, we're not dead!" he exclaimed, turning to Jewel with glee written all over his face.

"I can see that," Jewel responded, slightly exhausted at the notion that they had almost lost their lives.

A few seconds later, they stood up, navigating their surroundings. Blu gasped, breathless at the scenery in front of him.

"You're flying!" called out Rafael, floating alongside them. "Well, sort of."

Adrenaline began to pump through Blu's veins, and his heart thumped against his chest. "What... what's this I'm feeling?" Blu asked.

Jewel smiled at Blu, a rare phenomenon. "You're feeling the joy of flight!" she called out, feeling the wind flow through her feathers, as did Blu.

Exhilarated, Blu released the emotions that were repressed in his mind, letting the wind zoom through his feathers, and letting himself experience the adrenaline. Of course, he had involuntarily widened his wingspan, letting more wind smack against his wings rather than have it whist by him.

Jewel caught sight of him and immediately panicked. "Blu, don't!" she cried out, but it was too late: a particularly powerful gust of wind catches Blu's wings and sends him flying backwards off of the hang-glider, taking Jewel with him.

As they fall again, all Jewel could think of how much pain she would inflict on Blu and how tight she would strangle his neck- if they ever survive. All Blu could think about was that they were falling, of course- and that it completely, absolutely, totally sucks.

Several more hang-gliders pass underneath. Bouncing off of some, they finally land on the last one. The glider panics at having two birds land on his face and flies down low, towards the beach. Ploughing through several umbrellas, he crashes, launching Blu and Jewel into the air before they land against a propped-up surf board before face-sliding downwards inelegantly onto the ground. They lay there against it for a while, sand coating their undersides and faces. Dazed and groaning, they turned to each other, still lying on the ground, and they stared each other for a few seconds.

Blu was the first to speak. "I told you I couldn't fly," he said flatly, Jewel harrumphing angrily before darting her eyes away.

Rafael flew down to where they were laying, his beak forming a small, sad smile. "You weren't feeling it, Blu." he stated.

Jewel stood up, albeit groggily, coughed up some sand and brushed her feathers. "No kidding, Mr. Holmes," she spat, her tone saturated with acid.

"Well, I'm sorry, OK? I didn't expect you to push me off a cliff." Blu said, both exasperated and a bit reproachful. "It was a little, I don't know, extreme, don't you think?"

"Well, that's the way most of us birds learn: by falling." Rafael said patiently, smiling. "It doesn't always work on the first try. You'll get better with more practice."

"Well, I'd rather there be no more tries or practice, thank you very much." Blu said with a hint of accusation, smoothing out his feathers and cracking his neck. "This is definitely going to hurt in the morning," he thought to himself.

"Come on!" called out Rafael, the Toucan walking away. "If you two still want that chain off, Luiz is still a way's away!"

"Come on Blu," said Jewel, who sighed in relief. "Let's just go already and get this thing off."

As he and Jewel trotted off after Rafael, Blu couldn't help but think: "How else could today get any weirder?"

Rafael stopped them: a busy road lay in front of them, full of cars and people, the looming automobiles stationary as the stream of traffic continued to remain hampered by the activity of Carnivale.

"Come on!" called out Rafael. "We'll take a ride to Luiz in this fruit truck!" He swiftly swooped over said fruit truck- conveniently spacious and literally parked right in front of them- and promptly sat on a crate.

"Well then, let's go." Jewel said, running over with Blu. With a jump skyward, they landed next to Rafael and sat down, just as the truck lumbered away through the crowded streets, travelling across the safe and sound road and ground.


	7. It Was Inside You All Along

Chapter Seven (It was inside you all along)

In the jungle not far from where Blu and Jewel slept the night before, a group of marmosets were celebrating the haul of their recent loot. Being expert pickpockets, their small size gave them a distinct advantage over the unsuspecting tourists in Rio. Obviously they wouldn't notice their wallet or jewelry was missing until they got back into the bus- which the monkeys managed to take advantage of rather swiftly.

"Come on boys, we made a killing today!" calls out the apparent leader, a monkey with a gold watch around his waist like a belt. The marmosets raise their arms in the air and start dancing with glee.

A white shape walks into the clearing. The monkeys stare as the snow-white cockatiel flew into the area, silencing themselves and stopping their antics and dancing, their expressions a mixture of uncertainty, fear, and dislike.

The monkey king's expression turns to a scowl- the most despised bird in all of Rio stood before him, after all. "What do you want, Nigel?" he spat.

The cruel parrot smirks in contempt at the group of monkeys. "I am in need of your service. A pair of very rare birds -Spix's Macaws to be exact-, have escaped from my associates'... business, and I have been given the task of returning them. You will help me do this."

"What's in it for us?" the king asks, although his gut feeling told him his question was rhetoric. His fears are confirmed when Nigel leers at him in an extremely uncomfortable way.

"Do this for me, and I won't burn down another mango tree like last time." Nigel says, pulling out a lighter from a pouch on his leg. He flicks it open, sparking a blue flame that sends some of the monkeys jumping back in fear and howling anxiously.

"Fine," said the leader, eyeing the open flame with a mixture of fear and hatred. "Just please don't do burn anything. We lost a month's supply of fruit from that blaze, and some of our best loot was almost destroyed!"

"What can I say?" Nigel replies with an evil chuckle, flicking the lighter shut and putting it away. "It's how I roll." With a whooshing noise, he leaps into the air and flies off, calling out: "When you find them, contact me and restrain them until I get there! If either are hurt, I'll burn down the whole jungle!"

As he vanished from sight, his threat and a faint cloud of smoke lingered in the air, almost like a dark envelope of blackmail. His cackle remained audible for a while before the sounds of the jungle swallow it up.

The marmoset king wearily turns to the rest of the troop. "Alright boys, let's go find those birds. You heard what he said; we can't afford to mess this up. Now go! Search every house, every tree, every nook and cranny and vehicle; I want these birds found! Now GO!"

With shrieks, the entire troop scatters, spreading throughout the entire jungle and city of Rio, on the lookout for the two birds. All carry with them the knowledge that if they fail, all of them will suffer greatly.

But at least they knew what fate laid ahead of them.

A while later, the truck comes to a sudden stop, sending Blu and Jewel flying off onto the ground. Luckily for Jewel, but unluckily for Blu, the latter had broken the former's fall with the unfortunate device of his body.

"Oops..." she muttered awkwardly, swiftly albeit messily getting off his body. "Sorry 'bout that."

"No problem" Blu manages to wheeze out, as he coughed and gasped for dear air. "I think she bruised my sternum," he thought, the oxygen returning into his body. Standing up, he noticed that they were at a rather busy market.

Blu looked at Rafael. "How exactly are we going to get to Luiz from here?" he asked, speculating that Rafael's friend was not there.

"No, he should be here." Rafael assured him, scanning the market for his friend.

"Ralfy!" a voice from above called out. Blu looked up: it's the birds Nico and Pedro from before. Hoh boy.

"What up, family?" Rafael called out, smiling up at the sight of the birds. "Hey, have you guys seen Luiz?"

"Sorry man, but he just took the trolley back up to the garage." Nico said, shaking his head. Blu groaned exasperatedly, and Rafael wore a frown of disapproval.

"Wait...Ain't that that caged bird from before?" Pedro said, noticing Blu for the first time, and the waves of memory crashing upon him.

"Yeah, I think you're right. And he got a girl with some beak!" called out Nico, who wolf-whistled at the sight of Jewel, or at least, Jewel with/chained to Blu. "Man, I wish I was like you, man, you can get them chicks at the snap of a wing!"

"Sorry boys, it's not what you think: we're stuck together and can't get free." said Jewel, sighing, and the awkwardness on Blu's face fading.

"Come on inside; enjoy life a little!" Pedro exclaimed, nearly dragging the pair towards the club entrance.

"No really, we need to be going," Blu responded. Pedro seemed to not hear him as he flipped over their backs and pushed them inside.

"Come on, enjoy life a little!" Rafael laughed, closing the tent flap behind them.

(A/N: I can't really write this part.)

The thrum of the music in the club was infectious as soon as Blu walked in. Even as he walked he felt the urge to dance; soon enough, he was. All around him birds cleared the way as he and Jewel danced to the music, enjoying a bit of life before the continuation of their journey. The beat of the music spoke to Blu's heart as the heartbeat of a mother speaks to a young one; a beat of serenity and belonging.

"I don't know why," Blu thought as he spun Jewel around. "But this place speaks to me."

As luck would have it, a marmoset was looking through binoculars for the birds and failed to notice their entrance into the club. With no blue birds in sight, he moved on to the next area.

The dancing and the music seemed to bring out the more alpha aspect of Blu's personality, dominating his dance moves. He increasingly began to lead until Jewel was twirling around as if Blu had been dancing all his life. Jewel responded in kind, her moves eventually exhausting them both. As the music faded they left the club, unsure why they kept looking at each other.

A while later...

Our two cerulean birds found themselves travelling along on top of a cable-car, headed to Rafel's mysterious friend Luiz. Rafael, Nico and Pedro sat behind them, whispering to each other. "Guys, we gotta get these two together. They were made for each other." said Rafael in hushed undertones. The other two nodded, the two Macaws completely oblivious to the plans Rafael was putting.

"Look guys," Pedro pointed out, with a hint of scepticism. "This bird he's with is one of a kind. She's probably only impressed by singing and heroism, and from the looks of it, our feathered friend here doesn't have much of either."

Rafael sat there, thinking for a few minutes. Meanwhile, a breeze brushed through the nearby trees, sending petals fluttering through the air. Rafael quickly straightened, up and whispered to his buddies: a plan had hatched in his head.

Looking at the two birds in front of him, he called out. "Blu, Jewel, come here! I got a way to pass the time!" As they walked over, he explained. "Okay, here's what we do: we each sing our favorite song. That way, the trip won't seem so long!"

Jewel nodded at the idea, feeling it would be fun. Blu, however, had a look of apprehension on his face. "Sing?" he thought. "I can't sing, and even if I could, the song would make them laugh."

Rafael started off first, just to get the ball rolling, starting with "Girl from Ipanema", since it was the song that lead him to his wife. Nico and Pedro were next: Nico crooning a rendition of "What a Wonderful World", with Pedro doing a beat-box rendition of "I Wanna Party" from earlier. Jewel took longer to select her song, choosing a heart-rending "Sunshine on My Shoulders" that made Blu feel an ache in his chest. They turned to him, since it was his turn.

"I...I can't sing that well." he said, dropping his head in shame. His friends looked at each other. "It's not about how you sound" said Rafael. "Like flying, it's what you feel in here." he said, placing his feathers over his heart.

"Okay" sighed Blu. "If you insist, but it is an older one." With petals falling around him, he launched into his song.

_I bring you a song _

_And I sing as I go _

_For I want you to know _

_That I'm looking for romance_

_I bring you song _

_In the hope that you'll see _

_When you're looking at me _

_That I'm looking for love_

_I'm seeking that glow _

_Only found when you're young and it's May _

_Only found on that wonderful day _

_When all longing is through_

_I'm seeking that glow _

_Only found when a thrill is complete _

_Only found when two hearts gently beat _

_To the strength of a waltz that's both tender and new_

_I bring you a song _

_For I'm seeking romance_

_You're by my side _

_There's a moon up above _

_It shines with a light that's so mellow and bright _

_It's easy to see _

_That tonight we shall fall in love_

_I bring you a song _

_For I'm seeking romance_

During his song, Jewel simply stared at him in amazement, her sapphire eyes gleaming as if it were coated with ears. Blu couldn't see this, for his eyes were closed. His voice carried over the breeze, a beautiful melody of alternating pitches and deep rumblings in the back of his throat. Rafael and his buddies winked at each other: part one accomplished.

Jewel simply couldn't believe he was singing the way he was. With the bright petals falling around him in a vortex of color and the light from the fading sun dancing across his features, she couldn't take her eyes off him. "What did he mean he couldn't sing? That was beautiful!" she thought when he finished. "Silly Blu, it was inside of you all along..."

Blu opened his eyes to applause from his friends and Jewel. "Well, that wasn't too good" he thought. The trip suddenly seemed more enjoyable, and sadly, shorter, as Jewel began to consider over her time with Blu, and over his divine voice... and what other greater things lay within him.

They soon arrived at Luiz's garage.

A/N 2: If you can guess what movie that song belongs to, you get an internet cookie. Also, this story will be on hiatus for now: other stories have taken precedence and the rest will be posted sometime in the future.


	8. Where Is Jewel?

Chapter Eight (Where. Is. Jewel?)

Jewel is flying around joyfully with Nico and Pedro, enjoying the sensations of flight. Meanwhile, Blu is walking around on the pavement below. Rafael flies over to him.

"What's wrong, amigo? Aren't you happy that you are free?" Rafael asked, wondering what raced through Blu's mind.

"Of course I'm happy to be free from that blasted chain," Blu replied. "But here's the thing: I don't know what to do. I never really belonged with Linda, and out here I'm dead weight unless I learn to do something about it. I cannot make up my mind, Rafael: whether to go back to Linda, or stay here with Jewel and you guys."

Rafael nodded his head and gave a small chuckle. "It's all up to you: it always has been. Do what makes you happy, amigo. We'll stand by your decision, whatever it may be."

Suddenly, Nico and Pedro fly down to them, out of breath. They smell of smoke and Blu swore that Pedro's tail had been singed black.

"What's going on you guys?" he says. "Wait, where's Jewel?"

"She's been bird-napped!" cries out Nico. "By some huge white parrot with talons!"

"He was, like, here and gone, like that!" wheezes Pedro in agreement. "He also pulled out a lighter and set my butt on fire when we tried to stop him!"

Within that moment, Blu knew what he had to do. Firm resolution set upon his face.

"I'm going to get her back." he says, determination raging within him.

Rafael looked at him, taken aback. "But how are you going to find her?"

"I'll ask around. They won't leave without the other rare macaw." Blu said, his face grim and his eyes gone cold and topaz-hued.

"We'll look for her too," said Nico. Rafael nodded in agreement, his expression a mix of concern and determination.

"Yeah!" agreed Pedro. "I'm itching for a round two against that big bad bird!" He cracked his non-existent knuckles, somewhat like a badass.

All three leapt into the air, riding on the currents rising from the sea air below.

As they flew off, Blu could see the parade down below. He wouldn't be anywhere near it, though. He had a job to do.

At a nearby marketplace, Blu spots a monkey looking through some binoculars. "I wonder what he knows. Time to find out," he muttered.

Walking up behind the marmoset, he asks it a question: "Where is Jewel?"

The monkey, startled, screeches and drops the binoculars. It turns around, sees Blu and smiles in a threatening manner. Another screech, this one more of a call, brings two dozen monkeys to the scene: they surround Blu.

The leader of the marmosets steps forward, his watch-belt swinging at his waist. "Who wants to know?" he says, cracking his knuckles and leering at Blu. The other monkeys do so as well.

"I do." says Blu, his eyes never leaving those of the monkey king. "Now where is she?"

"She's where we're gonna take you, flightless bird." With that, the monkeys start to close in on Blu. His eyes flash golden. A few monkeys see this and stop, unsure of what to do next.

The king looks around. "Come on guys, he's just one flightless bird, how hard ca-" His next words are choked off as Blu's scaly foot wraps around his throat. The monkey claws at it, but he is not strong enough to shake Blu's incredibly strong grasp. The king looks fearfully into the eyes of the very angry bird, which are set aflame by fury, the yellow in his eyes glowing with such intensity the marmosets would've pulled it out thinking it was gold if not for the fact that he was about to kill them.

Blu pulls him closer and whispers in a manner completely unlike himself: deadly. "Choose your next words carefully, primate. Where. Is. Jewel?" he shakes the king for good measure, letting up the pressure a little to give him enough room to speak.

The marmoset king manages to choke out a command: "Get him!" The rest of the troop rushes forward, intent on freeing their leader and capturing the helpless and flightless bird. Oh how wrong they would be. Blu swats the first three monkeys with his wings, sending them flying into the rest. Blu spins and hurls the king with such a force it bowls over two other monkeys, who lay there dazed and confused. More rushed on, oblivious to the plight of their comrades.

The next monkey receives a crushing head-butt from Blu, which sends him reeling into a crate of unopened coconuts. He lays there, unconscious, as a second wave of monkeys approach, intent on subduing Blu before he can do any more damage. Their efforts would prove futile, to say the least.

The nearest monkey is grabbed by the tail and swung around Blu like a mace. He smashes that monkey into two more, knocking all three out in an instant. As they lay there, the next two monkeys rapidly approached. Quickly, Blu grabs them by their necks and does a flip, flinging them behind him. They smash right into a lawn chair, which leans back and collapses on them, trapping them.

The next monkey, a loner, leaps at Bu, trying to grab ahold of him by the neck. Blu swats him out of the air as well, sending the dazed monkey into two more. All three lay there, clutching their heads from the impact.

A sneaky monkey tries to grab Blu from behind: Blu just kicks him backwards into a flowerpot. The pot rolls off a ledge and lands on a balcony, shattering and knocking out its passenger. Blu looks around: only a few more monkeys left.

One of the monkeys spies a crate of silverware. Running up to it, he opens it and throws a bunch of dinnerware at his comrades. They snatch them up with their hands and advance on Blu, preparing to beat him senseless.

Blu spots a lone dinner knife and reacts quickly. Vaulting over the marmosets, he lands in a cloud of dust and picks up the knife, swinging back around. "En garde" he says to the monkeys, brandishing his makeshift weapon. The monkeys charge forward once more.

Dodging the first monkey's swing, Blu jabs one in the stomach: he falls over, clutching the wound on his stomach and wheezing from the blow. Blu ducks just in time to miss a blow to the head from another marmoset's spoon. He smacks the monkey upside the head with the broad side of the knife, sending him flying over to where King Mauro is laying.

Turning back, Blu is disarmed by a three-pronged attack by fork-wielding monkeys. Blu jumps over them and picks up a dropped spoon. He swings it around, conking another monkey on the head, knocking the lights out of him as well.

A sudden flash of silver makes Blu shield his face from the light of a passing car, and that's all the distraction the monkeys need. A quick blow from a spoon sends Blu reeling into a crate. Thinking quickly, Blu catches a leaping monkey and tosses him back at his comrades. Quickly climbing the crate, Blu sees only two standing monkeys. One rushes at him with a spoon, and when Blu realizes he has no weapon, he jumps down and charges at the monkey as well. Right before they meet, Blu ducks and sends out his foot, curled into a fist. The blow sends the monkey flying across the ground. As he skids across the ground, he vomits and lies in the pool of bile, body quivering and not getting up.

Blu looks at the last marmoset. "Boo," he says mockingly. The monkey screams, dropping his fork, and runs off. Blu walks over to King Mauro, whose face is full of fear. He makes no move to escape: he seems to be paralyzed by the visage of Blu approaching him.

Blu picks up Mauro by the scruff of the neck, and whispers harshly: "I'll ask one more time: where is Jewel?"

King Mauro gulps, his throat suddenly dry. "O-o-on a b-boat, down by the docks. I-It's painted red: you ca-can't miss it." Blu drops the marmoset king, his brain processing the information.

Walking to the edge of a building, he mutters to himself, "I'm coming, Jewel." And with a leap, he falls from the building, his wings spread out. And with all his sights and emotions set for his female counterpart, and his eyes still retaining that brilliant golden color, he spread his wings and flew, a blue streak in the sky, a beacon of hope.


	9. Hero by Night

Chapter Nine (Hero by Night)

A certain white cockatoo paced around the bridge of the boat, waiting in impatience. "Those blasted monkeys should have called by now!" he said, kicking the wall in frustration, ignoring the throbbing in his foot.

The pillaged iPhone to his right suddenly rang; he immediately answered it. "Where the flying feather are you guys?" he roared.

"T-... the bird, he... he's on... his way now." King Mauro's voice resounded. The monkey almost sounded... apprehensive.

"Excellent," replied Nigel, a smirk growing on his face. "When will you arrive?"

There was a pause on the other end. "We're not coming. He's... he's coming on his own."

Nigel's smirk stopped growing, swerving into a scowl. "What do you mean by that? It's too far of a walk for a flightless bird like himself! Weren't you supposed to escort him?"

The marmoset king cleared his throat, attempting to conceal the earlier defeat by one sole, ex-flightless bird. "I never said he was walking... nor did I say he was flightless anymore."

Nigel's eyes widened in horror. "He's flying? Impossible!" This was most certainly a new development, one that could complicate things greatly. He dismissed the thought of failure from his mind- surely the fact that Blu learnt how to aerodynamically travel was a trivial matter in the grand scheme of his? Surely one sole bird having new-found strength will not be sufficient to thwart his plans? A monstrous bird like himself never felt fear, and this one stupid blue bird was not going to change that!

Scoffing, he said: "Never mind: just be thankful I'm not in a burning mood today, or else I might have paid you a visit for this failure." He hung up the phone. "Now all I need to do is trap him." he thought. But how does one even trap a flying bird with an agenda?

Nigel flutters down the stairwell to the interior of the ship. Opening the door, he spies his captives and flies over. The one called Jewel is in a cage, lying down on its floor. She looks up at him, her eyes filled with fear and loneliness, clear symptoms of an absence of a confidante.

"Well birdie, don't look so glum. You'll soon have some company." Nigel said, his smirk becoming a full-blown leer, and his voice taunting. He turns to Rafael, Nico and Pedro, who were in nearby cages as well. They look up at Nigel with a mixture of apprehension, indignation and desire to escape.

"You'll never find Blu." Jewel spat acidly, defiance in her voice, and her face twisting in infuriation. Nigel merely chuckled.

"Don't worry about your mate; he's one his way to be your knight in shining feathers." His eyes wandered to the other cages. "Remaining cryptic in front of his friends may give me an idea on how to capture him," he thought.

Jewel sighed at the supposed stupidity of her male counterpart. "It's too far of a walk for him. We'll be gone before he gets anywhere near here."

Nigel snarled faintly. "Who said anything about him walking?" Jewel's eyes widen, along with her friends'.

"How can he be flying?" she said. "He never learned how. And with all his science jibber-jabber... how did he?"

Nigel paced past the boxes, lost in thought, before he turned to Jewel with a sinister smile on his mien.

"I'm sure he can tell you all about it, when he's stuck in that cage with you." He flies back up through the stairwell, landing on a chair near the ship's console. "I just need a way to capture him without causing too much of a ruckus." he thought. "My bosses don't like the noise."

He looks out the window at the ten monkeys he was put in control of by King Mauro. He turns on the loudspeaker. "You there!" he practically screamed into the microphone. "Take up positions around the deck! I don't want a single bird getting in or out of this boat: understand?" The monkeys quickly nod their heads and eight spread out on top the boat, while two go down below to keep an eye on the cargo. Nigel turns off the speaker and settles back, watching the sun disappear behind the mountains. "He'll get here about dark, I think" he mutters to himself, not knowing whether he had conjectured correctly.

Even though he actually did.

Clouds had started to roll in, parceling in a torrential thunderstorm soon to wreck to peace of the night. The bright light of the moon disappeared behind the clouds, casting the entire area into darkness of the primordial kind. The only lights were those above and below deck, in the bridge, and off in the busy parts of Rio.

Two of the monkeys sat by the light of one of the deck lights while playing cards in a rather bored fashion. Suddenly, the lights went out. A rumble of thunder in the distance signaled the rapid approach of the storm. The monkeys looked at each other, each taking out a pocket flashlight: their small size making the flashlights seem like enormous clubs.

"Let's go check it out" said one. "The bird wouldn't be happy if the power stayed out." The other monkey nods in agreement, his face cast in shadow. They walk towards the fuse box, passing crate after crate. It's quiet: too quiet. A soft flutter of wings makes them look around: nothing but darkness greets them.

"Let's get a move on" said the other monkey. "This is making me nervous." The first monkeys nods, taking the lead with his flashlight, while the other monkey looked from behind. As they approach the fuse box, the soft flutter of wings is again heard, louder this time. The monkey in front ignores it; he can see the fuse box ahead. Walking up to it, he notices that one of the wires has been cut: the one that supplies power to the topside deck. Flipping the switch back on, power is restored to the bridge and lower decks.

He jumps down on a crate and turns around: the other monkey is gone, his flashlight lying a few feet away. Walking over, he called out "Where are you?" No response is given: the only sounds are the rumble of the thunderclouds and the movement of the waves.

His ears perk up: he heard something once again, clearer and more audible than the first two times. Turning around, he has enough time to open his mouth to scream before a dark shape enveloped him, silencing his attempted cries for help. In the distance, thunder sounds again, approaching ever closer to the city of Rio, and the dark shadow stalked off, a hero by night.


	10. The Storm

Chapter Ten (The Storm)

Other monkeys patrol the upper decks, put on guard by the sudden loss of light. Two patrol near the bridge, marching back and forth like soldiers. As they march past each other, a boom of thunder sounds, much closer than before. The monkey nearest the bridge turns around at the sound of a scraping noise. His patrol partner is nowhere to be seen. A sudden blow to the back of the head knocks him out, and his unconscious form is dragged off into the shadows.

The last of topside monkeys patrol as a group of four, with only one wielding a flashlight. They walk quietly among the crates, shining at any noise they hear. The middle one carries the flashlight, with the other three flanking him. The one in front of him is wearing a bottle cap like a helmet.

Weaving their way through the maze of crates, they reach a dead end. "Let's go back the other way." says the one with the flashlight. As they turn around, they fail to notice a long string lying at their feet; the end is tied in a slip-knot. Walking forward, the last monkey steps into the open noose, his foot fitting perfectly into the open knot. Suddenly, it is yanked tight and the monkey is pulled skywards, screaming at the top of his lungs.

His companions quickly turn around, shining the flashlight at the top of the crate: they see nothing. His screams have already been silenced by some unseen entity. They continue walking, much more alert than before. Passing another crate, they walk near a large open knot in the wood. The monkey bringing up the rear peers into the whole, unseen by his comrades. His eyes widen, but before he can do anything, a scaly foot reaches out and clamps his mouth shut. Another quickly follows, grabbing him by the shoulder and hauling him into the crate. A piece of wood quickly covers the whole, and a dull thump is heard.

The last two marmosets look back, and see they are now completely alone. Suddenly, the flashlight begins to flicker: its beam becomes dimmer and dimmer, until it is a very faint glow. Lightning flashes through the sky, casting shadows everywhere. A distinct shadow stands out against the deck; they turn around to see nothing above them. They continue to walk in silence, searching every which way for the intruder.

Soft wingbeats flutter past, soon drowned out by the close rumble of thunder. The lightning flashes again and again, casting deep shadows on the deck and making everything seem like it was moving. Soft laughter follows the booms of thunder: it is maddening to the monkeys. "I gotta get out of here!" cries the one with the bottle cap. He runs off, and a quick flash of light spells his doom. In the ensuing blackness, his bottle cap rolls back to the last monkey, and comes to a stop at his feet.

The flashlight dies completely, casting the monkey into complete darkness. He drops the now useless tool and looks around. More lightning crackles overhead, casting long shadows upon the deck. One shadow seems to be coming from above and behind him, perched on a crate. Turning around and looking up, the monkey waits for another flash of lightning. It soon reveals a figure standing on the crate, watching him intently. The eyes seem to glow red in the darkness, a dull color not unlike blood exiting a wound. An immediate flash of lightning reveals spread wings; the next one shows the figure descending upon the marmoset, who is completely frozen by fear. The monkey does the only thing he can think of: scream.

It doesn't last very long.

Blu stood up, certain he had finished the last of the guards. Safely sealing them all in a crate, he made his way towards the bridge, the pathway to the final boss, the be-all and end-all. As he entered, and before he can do anything, floodlights flashed on, spreading blinding light throughout the area. Blu squinted, his eyes attempting to adjust to the light, and an ominous evil voice called out.

"Why hello there, birdie. I've been expecting you - I've got what you want." Nigel swooped down and landed in front of Blu, who was still recovering from the blinding light. Damn the sudden change from dark to light: his retinas felt fried. "I have to admit: I never thought you'd take out the guards so quickly," Nigel says, slowly advancing on Blu. "But then again I doubt you'd take me down, regardless of how well you think you fight or fly."

Ignoring his remark, Blu looked up at Nigel, topaz glinting in his eyes and a hostile snarl on his face. "Where's Jewel?" he demanded, glaring at Nigel. Nigel just shrugged, looking somewhat bored. "Oh, she's below deck, in a cage next to yours."

"I don't think so," said Blu. With a great leap, he shot skyward, headed for the boat's side. Before Nigel could reach him, he zooms in through an open window, landing near the birds, who gasp in horror on sight of him. Nico and Pedro's eyes bugged out of their head like they had just seen a ghost.

Jewel, especially, was one who had a jolt of panic pulse through her whole body, and her face drained of color. "Blu, you have to get out of here!" she yelled. Blu whirled around to her, his feathers moving as one cerulean cloak: an avenging hero.

"I'm not leaving without anyone. Especially you... Jewel," he said, panting for breath, staring straight into Jewel directly in the eyes. Slowly his topaz irises began to dissipate, revealing the inner, Blu-essence chocolate brown eyes. Their hearts began to accelerate, on the verge of bursting out of their chests and colliding into one another, uniting.

Before either can react, Nigel burst through the open window, spotting Blu. "Hereeeee comes Johnny!" he called, swooping at Blu, who without hesitation ducks and promptly flies out of the window, glancing once more at Jewel on his way out. As he reached up to higher altitude, his heart began to ache, as if he had left a part of himself on the way out, a part of himself in the form of his female counterpart.

"Oh no, you're not getting away again!" shouted the enraged Nigel, who flew out the window after Blu, picking up altitude again and chasing him up till the lower mesosphere, where the lower clouds were. A loud clap of thunder roared through the entire sky, and off in the distance, a wall of water began to rapidly advance upon them. With a roaring sound the curtain of rain befell upon them, covering everything within miles with heavy drops of precipitation – the storm had come.


	11. The Final Showdown

**Chapter Eleven (The Final Showdown)**

Flying around in a storm is never a good idea. Especially if you happened to be a certain blue macaw battling an insane white parrot with maniacal tendencies while trying to free your friends and loved ones. Blu knew that he might've looked like an idiot up there, but how was he supposed to give a flying feather about that? The main priority right now was to free Jewel, to free... the bird he loved. He'd made some idiotic choices in his life, but he was certain this was the one that would actually make a difference.

Reaching an apex in his upwards climb, Blu hovered. As he stopped his ascent, Nigel caught up to him, a glint in his eyes signaling intent to inflict as much harm to the Macaw as possible. This bird had been more trouble than he was worth: it was time to put him in his place and put himself back in the graces of his smuggler allies.

Dodging a swipe of Nigel's wicked talons, Blu socked Nigel right in the left eye, stunning him momentarily, before following it up with a smack to the forehead. Nigel quickly recovered, however, soon swiftly chasing Blu some more, enraged beyond the point of no return, and his eyes matching the same intensity of infuriation as Blu's topaz eyes. They fly through the clouds, pelted with torrential rain and buffeted by the shearing winds. Blu looked around the turbulent sky: flashes of light obscure any possible threat, and the rumble of the thunder made it impossible to hear any sign of an attack. Perfect. Just perfect. For once in his life, couldn't he have at least one advantage when it came to a fight with a bird?

With an insane shriek, Nigel suddenly flew up to Blu, tearing at his back with his talons. Blu grimaced in pain, with several bloodied feathers fluttering from his back. Whirling around, he stared around dazed, having lost the bird, and as his eyes begin to search the infinitely grey expanse of cumulonimbus, another blow from the other end sent him reeling, slightly concussed. Falling towards the boat, Blu regained his bearings and continued to fly about, attacking Nigel once again. Lightning continually flashed around the dueling birds, with thunder providing an epic symphony of noise. Blu landed a few more lucky strikes, including a powerful jab to the chest, but for all his strength the blows do not stop the winged demon, and they prevail to battle on, oblivious to their surroundings. Down below, lightning strikes the hills and mountains around Rio, as if God himself was furious at the Earth below him.

After several quick blocks, Nigel once again surprised Blu and swiped him in the face, knocking him back again. Blu feels one of his eyes start to swell, with blood from an open tear on his head leaking into his eye. Nigel snarls and lands another blow to the side of Blu's head, which sends him reeling. With one final smash to his cranium, the control over his wings ceases and Blu started to fall. Blood and feathers fall with him, flying around wildly in the winds. He could barely see the flashes of lightning through a black eye, and as he fell, a sense of doom and hopelessness began to overtake him. Nigel followed Blu down and grabbed hold of the beaten and bloodied bird, his sharp talons pressing into the soft flesh of Blu's torso.

Blu saw a flicker: something metallic in a pouch on the bird's leg. The insane parrot loosened one foot and reached for the device: a lighter. "I'm going to enjoy this," he said. Blu's good eye widened as a bright flicker came on: open flame.

This was it: Blu was going to be burned by an invention of man. Irreversible damage would be visited upon his living flesh, and any healthy healing would be unlikely in his current state. Thoughts passed through his mind: there was only one thing to do. With a quick jabbing motion, he knocked the lighter into the white parrot's eye. The searing flame quickly went out, but it was more than enough to scorch some feathers and flesh.

With a screech of pain, Nigel began thrashing Blu with one foot while raking him with the other, ignoring the lighter as it fell towards the ocean. His beauty had been ruined! Spittle flew from both birds' beaks as Blu was soundly shaken like a chew toy. Nigel, raising his beak, thrust his head forward and bit into Blu's shoulder. Blu nearly fainted from the shock and pain, but he still held on. Big droplets of the rain were soaking into his body, mixing with his slowly coagulating blood. The white monster was winning this fight, and there was nothing Blu could do to stop it. Every blow he manages to visit upon the alabaster specter seems to grow more and more futile, until his last raking scratch barely ruffles some feathers.

Nigel smirked evilly, the lightning casting a portion of his hideous visage in shadow. "Pathetic piece of meat," he remarked, promptly hurling Blu downwards with all of his might, sending him smashing through a rotten section of the hull. As the deranged cockatoo entered as well, the falling boards collapsed, blocking the open window along the side, while an unbalanced crate falls over the hole, plugging it. They are sealed within the deck.

Smashing Blu into the boat's floor, Nigel picks up the groaning bird and flings him at his friends. He lands in a heap on a crate near their cages. There is blood and loosened feathers everywhere, sticking to Blu like a horrible collage. Walking over, Nigel begins to speak to the other birds, placing his foot on Blu's back.

"Let this be an example, this pathetic excuse for a savior in shining feathers, to those who want to become different!" Nigel declares to his apprehensive audience, pressing his foot into the macaw's back. Blu coughs up some blood and looks up at the insane bird, with a mixture of indignation, rage and fear. Nigel, meanwhile, peers down at Blu with a look of bitter contempt.

"And now, for my next trick, a nice, traumatic scar across your stupid face." Picking up Blu by the throat, Nigel prepares to make his mark on Blu's remaining good eye, when an azure blur collides with him, knocking back. Jewel's cage is open, Blu notices, and part of his humor conscience marked that Jewel must've learnt how to open slide-locks. Clever girl.

Blu looks up at Jewel, huffing and puffing from her attack. "Jewel?" he whispers before descending into a fit of coughs. Droplets of blood form on the edge of his beak, while spittle flies everywhere from his coughs. Jewel holds him up, wiping the residue from his face. "It's okay, I'm here," she assured, while tears form in her eyes, agonizing her to find her only companion, the one who had gone through so much with and for her, the only one she had any form of sentiment or feeling for.

Blu looks through his heavily bruised eyelid at her. "You know I love you, right?" he croaked, semi-huskily. He knew he must look absolutely terrible.

Jewel whispers, "I do." Blu smiles, then winces in pain from the use of his bruised facial muscles.

"Why did you come to save us?" she asks as the storm buffets the outside of the boat. "You could have been free: you could have gone back to the life you knew, the life you loved."

"I can never go back, and frankly I don't want to," he says as some blood leaks from his bruised scalp. "All my life I wondered if there was someone out there for me: someone I could communicate on a level with that I never had before. I realize now I was looking for a soul mate, a bird who would love me with the same passion I would love them. I tried to deny it by burying myself in human words and ideas, but from the moment I left Minnesota and saw you, I knew it was you, Jewel. You light up my world unlike anything I've ever known." He coughs again, the spittle dripping from his mouth.

"I want to spend the rest of my life loving you: Jewel, my angel, my saving grace," he said, cracking a small smile at the slightly sappy words despite the rapidly swelling bruises. Jewel seems to be at a loss for words, as if her very being was astounded to the core. Her eyes tell the real story: she would not want them to be apart, ever again.

Jewel is about to lean closer to Blu when Nigel reappears, smashing her upside the head. She flies into a tower of spare cages, landing near the base. The uppermost cage, loose from the ship's rocking motion, falls on her wing. A loud crunch is heard, and Jewel cries out in pain.

Nigel smirks. "Anyone else wanna try something!" He looks over at the whimpering Jewel, and snarls ominously. "Sorry to interrupt this precious meeting, but you all make me sick." He looks back and forth between the pair, his snarl becoming a distinctly evil leer. "You know, I've been doing this all wrong. If I truly want to hurt someone... the real way would be to damage the ones they love: to make them suffer in front of each other."

He starts to walk towards Jewel, his talons at the ready. As he does, he notices Blu trying to rise to his feet, his bruised face contorting into fury. "Just stay down, you useless bird!" he spits, knocking Blu back onto the crate. With a grunt Blu tries to rise again, but each time he does, the maniacal white parrot smashes him into the wooden surface. "Enough of this," Nigel mutters, gripping Blu by a clearly-bleeding wing. "I'll deal with you in a bit: right now, your lady friend is my point of interest."

With a nasty grin he tosses Blu off the crate. As the cerulean Macaw falls, Nigel fails to notice that his eyes suddenly darken, the topaz in his eyes shortening out to become a rich, coal noir black, which engulfed his irises and eye whites as well. The look of pain seems to wash away as only one expression fills his falling face: unadulterated rage. The resulting thud seems to echo through the boat, much louder than it should have.

"BLU!", Jewel cries out in horror, as Nigel cackles and walks closer and closer. Try as she might, she cannot escape from under the cage pinning her broken wing: she can only stare into the face of madness that is Nigel. Suddenly, a loud screech is heard from behind the crate where Blu fell, followed by a series of grunts and groans.

Nigel looks back: "Had enough, birdy?" The screeches are soon replaced by heavy breathing, as if Blu is in the midst of a strenuous task. Several more groans sound out, deeper than before, followed by a series of deep grunts and heavy rasps. Nigel looks confused, and suddenly every bird inside stare in anticipation at the crate, where you could've heard a feather drop if it weren't for the grunts and noises...

... which then cease completely. Walking back, Nigel peers over the edge. "What are you going on about? You can keep your dirty habits away somewhere el-"

A huge scaled foot flies out from the shadows, smashing into Nigel's face and sending him flying into the boat's wall. The grunting from before is gone: a deep growl emanates from the shadows, a growl heralding from the darkest depths of the ancient world. The other birds look on, utterly speechless, as an enormous specter rises from the darkness.

"Get away from them." It says, walking towards the caged birds and Nigel. It steps into the light, and everyone gasps. It can't be: it's just not possible.


	12. Happiness

**Chapter Twelve (Happiness)**

An absolutely enormous bird stands before the crowd of caged birds. Its black eyes and deep, cerulean blue feathers are a sharp contrast to the dull, brown crates around it. Nigel manages to stand up, shaking in fear and pain. One of his wings is broken; he won't be flying out of this.

It looks Nigel directly in the eyes. Pure malice is etched in its features, its whole body tense with rage. Nigel voices his question. "What in the world are you?"

The enormous bird whispers in a deadly manner with a deep baritone, snarling: "You don't recognize me? Pity, Nigel, I never thought you'd forget a 'birdie' like myself quite this quickly." He suddenly rushes at Nigel, and before Nigel can move, the bird picks him up in his talons, whirls him around rapidly and tosses him against another crate, obliterating it in Nigel's path. Nigel slides to the floor, stunned.

The bird looks at Jewel, and his expression immediately softens. "Are you okay?" it asks gently, moving closer. Jewel cannot move, her wing trapped by the fallen cage. She looks up at this stranger, quizzical. "Who are you?"

The bird simply says: "I told you I love you; I still do, Jewel."

Jewel's eyes widen in shock. "Blu?" she asks.

"Yes Jewel, it's me" he replies. Gently, he picks up the cage off of Jewel's wing and tosses it aside like it weighed like a feather. He looks at her wing, concern etching his features. "Well, it's definitely broken." Jewel nods her head, wincing as she moves to a standing position.

Leaving Jewel's side, Blu walks over to the other birds. Gingerly he opens their cages as well, setting them free. Before he can turn around, a small shuffling sound makes all the other birds gasp. Blu turns around to see three humans walking through the door leading from the bridge: the smugglers.

They stare at each other, each unsure of what to do. Blu's instinct decides for him: he charges at them, screeching and thrashing among the crates. The humans turn and flee, screaming like little girls. As they scramble up the steps, one knocks over a lamp. As the door shuts, the lamp's contents catch on fire, setting the wooden hull aflame.

The birds all back away suddenly, fearful of the flames. They soon begin to spread around the flammable wood, expanding and consuming more and more space.

"We've gotta get out of here!" shouted Rafael. All the birds desperately looked at each other, panic coursing through their bodies, unable to escape the quickly spreading fire. Blu walks over to a section of the hull and studies it intently. With a sudden motion, he smashes his head into the side: a big gaping hole appears, large enough for everyone to escape through. As the birds fly out, Blu looks at his friends. "Take Jewel with you; I'll catch up." Rafael, Nico and Pedro nod. Before they can pick up Jewel, she rushes towards him, and Blu stoops low enough for her to plant her beak against his. "Come back to me." she whispers. "I will" is his reply. The others carry her off, heeding Blu's promise of return. They only hope he can keep it.

As they fly out, he hears a screech. Turning around, he sees Nigel jumping at him. The crazed bird lands on his face, tearing and slashing at any point he can. Blu manages to shake him off onto the floor. Before the insane bird can recover, Blu pins him with one of his large talons. He looks deep into the insane bird's eyes for the final time.

"Goodbye, you psychopath!" Raising his foot, Blu smashes it down with all of his weight onto the evil bird. Nigel, crushed by Blu's weight, is smashed through the bottom of the boat's hull. His flattened and bleeding body lands into the water face-down, floating like a bizarre sea creature.

Finally victorious over him evil nemesis, Blu looks around at the approaching flames. Jumping on a large crate, he bursts through the ceiling onto the upper deck, roaring as if the primeval bits of dinosaur DNA in his blood surged with life. Debris flies everywhere as he throws the box holding the unconscious monkeys into a life raft. They were innocent of any real wrongdoing: leaving them on the boat would be an act worthy of a psychopath. Lowering it, he pushes it away from the boat just as the flames start to spread to the upper deck.

Slowly, his large form reverts back into a macaw, his feathers still the same color as they were before. As the blood clears from his eye, he sees the shouting humans dive overboard. Their sudden hurry makes him looks around. The flames are rapidly approaching a large tank of gasoline and several large propane tanks. Crates nearby are also marked as flammable: likely fireworks or weapons of some sort.

Leaping into the air, he just misses a gust of fire as the wind picks up. Flying farther from the boat, he spots a bright flicker in his peripheral vision. A second later, a massive explosion of noise fills his ears. The shockwave soon reaches him, sending him off balance in mid-flight. His body manages to land on the shore, and as he looks back, he notices a crate, flying straight at him.

Suddenly, blackness takes over his senses. More debris from the boat washes ashore, spread out for miles. The steady booms of thunder and flashes of lightning continue into the morning, petering out with the lashing rain as the sun rises from the waves of the Atlantic. All becomes calm, as if the events of the night before were nothing more than a bad dream.

The next morning, birds from the doomed vessel search the nearby coastline, looking for any sign of their savior. All along the shore, they find debris from the destroyed boat strewn helter-skelter. A small life raft holding an empty crate is also found, with a series of small footprints leading into the jungle. The birds move on, paying no heed to this minor interest.

Rafael is flying nearby a large section of crate when he sees something: flying closer reveals it to be some blue feathers. "Guys! I think I found something!" he calls out. Other birds arrive, and help him pick up the crate piece.

Blu's form is underneath. Peaceful. Happy. Motionless.

Rafael sighs. "Let's bring him back to Jewel: she needs to see the truth for herself." With that, the birds make a small net between them and fly off, gingerly carrying Blu's body aloft. They soon reach the abandoned watchtower in the jungle.

Jewel is looking up in the sky with Nico and Pedro as they arrive. Her expression becomes pained as she sees the cargo. As they softly lay Blu's body down, she hobbles over and starts to whimper. She can barely look at him, splattered with dried blood and sand. Many of his feathers are askew, with several missing ones exposing his torn flesh.

"I don't think he even felt it. The crate, I mean" says Rafael, patting her on her good wing. She starts to cry into his shoulder, her breathing becoming shallow and raspy.

"He promised he would come back...He promised!" she half-shrieked. Her sobs become harder, louder, more violent. Nico and Pedro look at each other, sniffling. They nod at each other, knowing what must be done.

"Let's cover him up; it would be better" they say to each other. As Nico and Pedro reach to cover Blu up with some leaves, Jewel almost jumps at them in aggression. They fly backward, startled by her strong reaction.

"Don't you touch him!" she cries, throwing herself on Blu, her face a tearful snarl. Her sobs continue, ones of sorrow and mourn.

She looks Blu in the eye. "You can't leave me! I can't go on without you!" Her screams stop, replaced by wailing and more sobbing. Strange, how the selfless sacrifice of one's-self can change the very way someone feels about you.

As her tears roll down Blu's face, Jewel holds on to him tight with her good wing. Lifting her head, she notices something through her tears. A slight glow is starting to emit from Blu's closed eyelids. Jewel stands up, suddenly alarmed. All of the attending birds gasp, awestruck by what was unfolding. The dried blood on Blu's feathers begins to run as a liquid again, as if time was seemingly in reverse. It disappears into his torso and wings, leaving behind a sheen of silvery streaks. His flesh wounds start to seal themselves, as if being covered by a new set of skin every second. The wounds soon disappear, leaving behind very slight scars where torn flesh should reside.

Blu's body starts to glow, his feathers becoming almost a brilliant sheen of bluest azure. His beak was shining like a beacon, with his eyes glowing the brightest of all. The birds swear they could see his blood moving in his veins. After a few seconds, the glow starts to fade, though it doesn't entirely disappear. A sudden thump shakes the tower, rocking the birds on their feet as dust falls from the rafters. Another thump follows, then another and another, incessant sonic booms ripping through the jungle, with an impact that sent leaves flying and trees bending. The bumps soon cease to be distinct, instead being one giant vibration that reverberates throughout the jungle. Rocks are loosened from the earth, birds in the distance take flight and tree's fruits are falling like mad. All of the jungle is throbbing like a tightly wound drum, showing no signs of stopping.

Blu's feathers begin to reappear in the places they had been removed, growing at an incredible rate. The vibrations knock the sand clean off of him, with dried sea salt falling out of his wings. All at once, at the crescendo of vibration, everything is suddenly still. The light fades from Blu's features, and Jewel steps closer. "Blu?" she asks, finding it impossible believe the past moment's events.

Blu's eye open and he draws in a deep breath of air. His head turns to face her. "Hello, Jewel." All of the birds gasp, doing double takes. There is complete silence in the tower.

Jewel's eyes well up, threatening to spill forth more tears. But these are no tears of sadness: these are tears of amazement and joy, the kind of joy that knows no bounds. Her speech falters for a bit, until she manages to croak out; "Blu; I love you." With that, she lies on top of him, and grips him tightly, never wanting to let go. The tears flow freely, with no sign of stopping. Blu returns the hug, comforting her in his wings. All of the other birds start to celebrate, beyond happy that their savior is alive.

In the distance, three figures stand amongst the jungle foliage, looking at the birds through an odd binocular-like device. "See, I told you it would work." said one, a smile forming on his beak and his blind eye twinkling. The other two look up at him.

"I had no idea it could do that; the formula, I mean." replied the darker one, a sense of awe showing on his face. The smaller one nudged him. "Told you so." she said, smiling as well. All three birds fall silent, taking in the joviality of the birds as one would stare intently at a beautiful picture.

"Let's leave them to their happiness." said the first. With nary a sound, the three figures walked off into the jungle, leaving no trace except for slight smell of lilac wafting in the morning breeze.

Who has the power to stop time?

Who has the power to determine what would happen, and what had happened? It is not something inherited, not something that can be bought, nor stolen, nor taken advantage of for political or economic prosperity. All in all, who has the power to start anew?

There are people, evil people, who would make use of time, of power, of total control, and would trample over everybody just to have it. But what it all boils down to is simply this: who should have this privilege?

It's those who truly deserve it, those who truly care for others. To those who have a noble cause, and fight for it. To those who want to fix something they truly love. To those who fight, and those who love, with all their heart.

The End.

**A/N: Well, this has been quite a journey, for both Blu and me as an author. I started this story with a simple idea back in the early summer of 2011: how could Blu be different? As it was my first story, I needed to shore up on all the things I had previously learned to make it work. I took my background in prehistory and brought forth a combination of secret histories and a modern sci-fi tale, mixed in with a little love story to add some spice. Overall I found writing this story to be rather enjoyable and I once again must thank my beta reader, Holo-spartoi for helping me greatly with this tale. As of now I have no plans on returning to this story, though the future may prove to be rather unexpected. If you feel like I should rewrite parts or add additional scenes, I hope you will understand my reluctance to do so. If you do have an idea on how to add something, please feel free to PM me or leave a review: I would appreciate it.**

**Peace out- Abramus5250**


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